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~eventh Day 'Baptist Publishing House.

The primary work' of the American Sabbath Tract Society is publishing and distributing the literature of Seventh Day Baptists. Prominently located in Plain­f,ield, New Jersey, is the -Seventh Day Ba.ptist Building, bacl< of whi~h is th~ wel,1

equipped publishing house long known by the name "Recorder Press/' Planning Committee and Commission are meeting consecutively in the Board ROQm of

. the front building from December 30 - January-10 developing plan~ and pr~drarri for the future. Some of thes~ plans involve the printing of more literature in the Seventh Day Baptist Publishing House.

'The Sabbath

First Issue June. 13, 1844 . A Magazine for Christian -Enlightenment and Inspiration

Member of the Associated Church Press REV. \LEON M. MALTBY, Editor

Contributing Editors: MISSIONS _________________________ .___ EvereH T. Harris, D.O. WOMEN'S WORK ____________________________ Mrs. Earl Cruzan

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION, Rex E. Zwiebel, B.D.. M.A.

o Terms of Subscription

Per Year _______ ~.OO Single Copies _______ 10 cents

Special rates for students, retired Seventh Day Baptist ministers, and servicemen

o

~cstage to Canada and foreign countries SO cents per year additional. Gift and newlywed subscriptions will be discontinued at date of expiration unless re­newed. All subscriptions will be discontinued six months after date to which payment is made unless renewed. The Sabbath Recorder cannot pay for contributed arti~les but will send the writer, upon request, up to 10 free copies of the issue in which an article appears_

Published weekly (except August when it is published bi-weekly) for Soventh Day Baptists by tho American Sabbath Trad Socioty. 510 Watchung Avenuo. Plainftold. N • .s. 07061

Socond class postage paid at Plainfield, New Jerse.y. The Sabbath Recorder does not necessarily endorse signed articles. All communications should be addressed to the Sabboth Recorder, Plainfield, New Jersey.

PLAINFIELD, N. J. Volume 186, No. 1

EditDrials:

January 6, 1969 Whole NO'. 6,331

Tract Society Emphasis ______________________________ 2 Giving . by Guess __________________________________________ 2

Features': President's ColUmn ____________________________________ 4 Amazing Story Df One Tract ______________________ ' 4 Tract Society President ________________________________ 5 NABF EncDurages Baptist Sharing __________ c 5 The Tract Society at Work ThrQughout

the World ______________________ , __________ .. ___ . _____ ... _.. 6

A Denominational Publishing House ____ . __ . 8 Good Tracts - Better Tracts __ . _________ . ___ . __ . 9 Our Prayer Corner _. ______ ._ ... _____ . _______ .___________ 10 "Pleased to' Know You" ______ . ______________ .. __ ._. 11 BDOks at Reduced Prices . ______ . ___ . _____ .. __ .. __ ._._. 13 The DenDminational Desk ___ . ___ ._. _________ ... ____ 13 She Does Her Part ________________________________________ 14

Missions:

Overseas Ministries Assembly Attended ___ . 12

Christian Education: Jlappy Birthday to' Christian EndeavDrers 15 Young Adult Pre-Con Retreat .. _ .. _ .. __ ._. __ ._. 15 National SDBYF Memberships _ ... __ . _____ .. ___ . 15

. Youth Field Worker ...................... __ ... _ .... _.__ 15 Junior High Conference __ ._ ... __ . __ .. __ .. _. ______ . ___ 15

if r(QJci( Society" Emphasis This blue-mk issue, ,as may readily be

seen, is' one. of . a series' of first-of-the­month emphasis issues following' the same sch,edule as last year. The work of the American Sabbath Tract Society is featured. It is hoped that through these articles our 'readers may become better acquainted with the work of this major board and may be challenged to make greater use of our tracts an.d the other services offered. It is further hoped that this will help to round out the picture of all the boards and agencies which Sev­enth Day Baptists and their friends sup­port with their gifts through OWM or designated to a particular board or agen-. cy. The Missionary Society was featured in December. The Board of Christian Education and the Women's Board will have emphasis issues in later months.

Givirng by Guess Do you give by guess? Some of us do

and would commend it· to othefS. Since that' could be: easily nP~understood an explanation must be quickly made. Two considerations prompt my giving. The first is love, and, I guess, the second is love also. I' give because, in response to God's love,. and His provision of spiri­tual and temporal, .blessings" I want to respond by contributing to His cause on earth. In the second place, love pronrpts me to give where it will seem to do the most good. This is where some' educated guessing is needed for part of my benev-olences. .

No guessing is required for the sup­port of the local churcb or our denomina­tional budget. We have had a hand in determining the items to be included in those carefully worked . out budgets. There may be just a few items that we would have liked larger or smaller or eliminated. However, we accept the ac­tion of the majority and support the

. whole local or denominational budgets with our undesignated giving. It is .much better that way. Only thus can a unified work be carried on with each of us hav­ing a part in all of it. Few of us would want to try to figure out better' propor-. tions than have been agreed upon. So much for the undesignated giving which

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should probably take the major portion of our tithes.

It is in the area of designated gtvmg that we' can practice and advocate" some guessing with good conscience;' granted, however, that this has its dangers and dis­appointments. That,.is one reason for suggesting th~t we might feel more liber­ty 'in going beyond the tithe for some of the giving by guess. In case 'we should, make a wrong guess as. to the worthiness of . the cause or as to the oversubscribing by others responding to the same appeals we would feel better if these were over­and-above gifts to some extent.

I cherish the individuality of Christian giving. I like to think tha~·1 alone am responsible 'for determining how much I shall give, -and to what causes. Realizing that what I have came from God and I am but ~ steward. of all that I possess it is still' good to know that the Lord trusts me to be a responsible steward, investigating as much as possible and re­sponding with my best judgment, mo­tiv.ated by love. , Guessing comes in where complete knowledge has to leave off. It is in the area of need. It is trying to figure out what other people are likely to do so that my gift will be well invested. Is that selfish? Maybel just a little. Why should my money have to be. better 'spent than that of other people? Well, I feel better if I have helped a cause along that other people would not (for lack of knowledge or interest) support. If subsequent events prov~ . that I guessed right, I have oa joy of gtvmg that would not otherwise have been possible. My extra giving counted where it was needed. If I guessed wrong about the worthiness of the cause, pros­pect of results, or the response of other people I can retreat gracefully and try again. At least I haven't guessed with other peoyle's gifts.

I see two categories where guessing comes in, the individual or not yet recog­lnized missionary work of Seventh Day Baptists and the interdenominational mis­sionary or reIiefcauses, supported on a

d very broad base. I want to guess right and strike a good balance in both", cases.

JANUARY 6, 1969

-MEMORY TEXT

Then hear tpou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned ag'ainst thee.' 2 Chron. 6: 39. F? -

Within our denominational structure as well ras outside it there are numerous opportuQities for designated giving, with all the uncertainties as to response. Each major board has its projects; each mission field has some, unbudgeted opportunities for service. There are also certain ecu­menical commitments dependent on des­ignated giving. It is always interesting to read the church bulletins at Christmas time and see what the various Sabbath

. School classes or the church organizations picked out for "white gifts." Fortunately, like our potluck dinners, a certain degree of over-all balance usually shows. up. Sometimes we wish that not so many other churches had picked out the same project that our group chose, but gen­erally we are happy in our giving by guess - much happier than if we, had waited to see what others were doing or hadn't given at alL On the other hand, if -.We respond too generously to a new project to the neglect of the more Im­portant appeals, then we are not quite happy.

Doubtlessly we should engage in de­liberate pray!ng over a period of time before we giVe by guess. The relative importance of the various needs will come to us in response to prayer rather than snap judgment based on an emotional appeal.

The American Tract Society, insti­tuted in 1825 as a non-profit publisher of Christian literature, is ~Ul interdenomina­tional organization serving over 13,000 churches and over 20,000 individuals. Its board members include a broad rep­resentation of denominational leaders as well as a number of outstanding Christian businessmen. Total volume last year exceeded 36 V2 million pieces of literature published of 'which over 58% were· in full color.

3

Impressions fro~ Boston Two of the most spiritually stimulat-:­

ing days of my life were spent October 17 and 18 in Boston, Massachusetts, at­tending the International Convention of Christian Business Men. To be one of approximately 1,0~0. men from. all parts of the world was In Itself a thrill, but to be associated with a group of men who were serious about their commitment to Jesus Christ was even more impressive.

convinced that these people are in need of spiritual gratification. ~~y have not been provided the opportunIties to know the satisfaction of experiencing the Holy Spirit and thus they continue to search in other realms.

These kinds of experiences truly make one "Sensitive in His Service." Have

, you shared your Christian experience­with a stranger lately?- What about a friend or neighbor? It will make you sensitive.

-Leland W. Bond

Amazing Storry of One Tract To make their presence known in the ~ ~ Bosion area these men set themselves to work witnessing for Christ in many ways. Not long ago Ithamar Quigley, a 90-

year-old minister from Elizabeth (N. ~.) who is spry and active, drove to. Plain­field to pick up some. tracts, which J:te had originally printed hImself. Mr. < QUIg-: ley has been in touch with the Tract, Society since the days when Dr. A. J. C'.' Bond was pastor at Plainfield and en­couraged him to publish his first Sab..: bath tract on the relation between the Old Covenant _ and the New Covenant.

In addition to man to man witnessing, they spoke to civic clubs and church~s throughout the Boston area. The pn­mary purpose of this organization is to win other business men to the cause of Christ. ,

One thing that stood out as a. gen­eral impression was the fact that I dId not observe any of -these men using tobacco, alcohol or profanity. These were ~ot rules of the organization but so~ethlD:g that these men felt was important m theIr -effort to show respect for God and His holy temple.

In order that I might gain every ex­perience that I could from this meeting I decided to take part in the "Good Will Ambassadorn program. The object of this program was to- select/ofrom the telephone directory of the city of Boston a business that was related to your own and to contact the executive officer, make an appointment to see him, ~ve y~ur personal t~,stimony, present' _ hun WIth a New Testament, and invite him as your guest to a noon luncheon., The final objective of this program was to seek to win this man fot Christ if he was ,not already a Christian. I can say from per­sonal experience that this is one. of the most humbling, yet, most rewardIng ex­periences, one can have.

Another rewarding experience was" to be 'a part of an open air witness in the, "night life area" of the city. To see hundreds of "hippies" was real shock for a "boy from Lost Creek." I am,

4

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The . sweet-spirited, full-bearded vet­eran in the Lord's work (who claims he hasn't touched any medicine for 65 years) dropped in to call on t~e secr,:­tary, who has recently taken qUIte a bIt of medicine and gets around the house in a- wheelchair." Mr. Quigley told an amazing story about that first tract of his. which was printed in the Sabbdth Recorder.

The tract went to a friend in ~ Cali­fornia, Theophilus Gill. He in turn sent a copy of it to a man named Ed",:ar~s in Jamaica, W. I. Mr. Edwards saId It was just what he needed to combat one of the Sunday arguments and to con­vince people of the permanence of the sevellth-day Sabbath. He called .for large quantities Jor distribution. It' IS state.d that on the basis of the message of thIS one -tract Mr. Edwards established ten Sabbathkeeping -churches in Jamaica af­filiated with Mount Zion Sanctuary. Mr. Quigley is the active pastor of a' small church of that name in Elizabeth. For many years he had h~ own print~g. press and a very extenSIve - tract mmistry­all resulting from that first tract.

THE SABBATH RECORDER

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Tract Society President In the 1968-69 denominational pro.;.

gram of "Facing Frontiers with Faith" there is a strong emphasis "on HKn?W Your Boards and Agencies. Featurmg

the Tract Board this week we introduce the president of the American Sabbath Tract Society and its Bpard of Trustees, Charles H. North of Plainfield, N. J.

Mr. North has been president since September 1966, elec.ted ~t the_ ~orpora~e meeting upon the reSignatIon of Fredenk J. Bakker. He _ had previously been the treasurer for a number of years. The ne~ president has l;>rought much to the soc .. -ety and board in th~ way, of energetIc leadership. He has gIven m~ch thought to the appointment of commIttees and as ex-officio member of all he has taken an active part" in the work <?f most of themdur-ing his years of presidency. ~e has been a champion for a greater mm­istry to the denomin~tio.n by the Tract Society and its publIshIng hous~. The new president took over .at a tI~e. of transition and problems in the publIshIng work and has had to spend a great deal of freely given time to the complicated process (legal and otherwise) of closing out the commercial business and convert-

JANUARY 6, 1969

ing to a strictly denominational operati,?n. To be president o~ one of our ~aJor

boards can be a very tmportant and tIme­consuming task. Mr. North has often expressed the op!n.ion that it means far more than preSIdIng at the quarterly meetings and the annual meeting o~ the, society. At the present time the pres~d~nt is guiding the bo~rd .through a revl~lon of the bylaws whIch Involves. consoh~a­tion of committees and working 0l!t Job analyses f~r office~ ~nd commIttees. Changes- in the constitution also are ex-pected in the near future.

NABF Encourages Baptist Sharing in Education, PublicatiQJ1s, Conferences

Representatives of nine :Baptist groups with a combined membershIp of more than 15 million in North America have suggested that their conventions and cof!­ferences' work together more closely In the fields of education and publication.

Forty members of the General Com­mittee of the North American Baptist Fellowship met' recently in Washington for two days of examination of the con­cerns th~y hold in comnlon and.' an ex­ploration of ways to help each other.

They also welcomed t~e General .As­sociation of General BaptIsts as the nlnt:h and most recent addition to the felIo\v.,. ship. Other participating gr~ups are t~e· American Baptist Conven~10n, Bapt!st Federation of Canada, NatIonal BaptIst Convention of America, National Baptist Convention of Mexico, North. American Baptist General Conference, Progressive National Baptist Convention, Seventh Day Baptist G~neral Conf~rence. and the Southern BaptIst Convention.

DukeK. McCall, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Louisville, Ky., was elected chairman of the fellowship to succeed V. Carney J:Iar­groves of Philadelphia, an Amencan Baptist pastor who has headed NABF since its organization in March 1966.

L. Venchael Booth of Cincinnati, a / pastor and executive se~retary of . the \ Progressive National BaptIst Convent~on,

was named to succeed Senator JennIngs Randolph as vice-chairman. Senator Randolph, of West Virginia, is a Sev­enth· Day Baptist.

5

A Den@minati@nal Publishing H@use t . How Hi Us Possible

Some, large denominations do not own;; ~d operate their own publishing houses for good and sufficient reasons. Smaller denominations face real problems in equipping and operating their own print­ing plants. For many years the Amer-

1 iean Sabbath Tract Society, which de­v~loped our publishing house, reasoned that it could not buy and maintain the I!ecessary machinery for high quality de­nominational printing without the profits of commercal business to' plow back. i~to 'the enterprise. It was good reason­ing. It worked up until a few years ago. Old, equipment was replaced with new, more efficient machines, almost a com­plete turn over of presses, folders, etc.: ~itbin the past 15 years. In addition, ~e. publishing house contributed as much as $5,000 some years to denomina­tional budgets. Times changed; the shop was operating at a loss on its commercial ~ork. Could it survive if it did only de­n~minational work at competitive prices? That was the question.

We do now have a tax-free denomina­tional publishing house owned and op­t:?ratedby the American Sabbath Tract Society. Much of the credit for u,nder­taking the present program goes to Gen­eral Secretary 'Alton L. Wheeler who studied the figures and worked with the Supervisory Committee .of the board. It was figured that there ,might be enough income from the printing of the parent society and' that of the other boards and agencies to break even if personnel was reduced to a skeleton crew and other expenses were cut. The printing of the Sabbath Recorder would provide about

Planned Parenthood Overseas The Rev. Charles R. Ausherman,

former director of social and economic serviGes for Taiwan Christian Service in Taipei, Taiwan, has been named· director of the Planned Parenthood Program of the National Council of Churches' Divi­sion of Overseas Ministries.

Mr. Aush~rman's office, within the ChurehWorld Service Department of

8

two-thirds of the in~me for a balanced publishing house bUtiget.

Coordination c '. and spacing out of all tlie other printing wbuld beneGessary to make the best, use' of the time ,of ,shop person­nel. Mr. 'Wheeler be­came'the coordinator, lengthening his days so that this could be done in . addition to his other denomina-;

tional duties. He does this without reim- ' bursement. His vision of ~ printing sec-' vice and a printing ministry, usingC> 'the large building and adequate 'machinery 'ac': mumulated during the years or . purchased for the new service encouraged the Super­visory Committee to carry on' instead -of liquidating (at considerable -loss). We are operating our own plant, printing our lit­erature the way we . want it printed, with the help of quite a little dedicated ser­vice, work that is given by local people and, visitors who want to see this de­nominational venture succeed. Others besides Mr. Wheeler regularly take some time from other denominational . duties to'devote to this major project.

What of the future? There is a contin~­ing and stepped-up effort to relieve Mr. Wheeler of his coordinating duties., The problem, if the right person could be found, is largely budgetary. The incoine from our printing at present prices would not cover another salary. It might cover part of a salary. If other agencies at' the Sewnth 'Day Baptist Building need the. pari"'-time service of another man it may be worked out.

DOM, will provide program plariniIlg and supplies needed· to carry out effective family planning services by overseas Christian medical' institutions, CWS field person~el,. doctors and nurses.

He wilL'J?e responsible for linking. the Planned Parenthood Program with the Nee Priority Program on World Hunger. ~r. Ausherman~d his family will live In Glen Rock, ~~ J. '

THE SABBATH RECORDER

Goed iracts - BeHer Tracts' Who is to say whether or not the'

tracts' published by the American Sab­bath Tract Society are good, better or best? There' is no single answer to that question. Not to be overlooked are the answers that come Jrom the people ·who receive and 'read the literature. It may take many years of correspon4ence, many years of filling orders to evaluate the effectiveness of given pieces of litera­ture. Neither the, supplying office, the mo~t active distributors, nor the people who read and respond can make a clear pronouncement as to the quality arid ef­fectiveness of tracts, produced ~nd dis­tributed. There are quite a few human factors involved. The same person who, will have nothing to do with a salvation or Sabbath tract t,oday maya year later think it is just what he needs. \ _ ~ Thete are at least three typ~s of re­sponses that filter back to the publishers of tracts: affirmative responses, negative responses, and no resp'onses. Every pub­lisher wonders about the prop'ortionately large number of tracts that seem to be wasted. The lack of response may indi­cate that the tract was not all. that it should be in eye appeal or content. It may also be due to the method of dis­tribution, whether personal or by some type of scattering. Publishers of the very finest printed materials have learned not to expect a high percentage of either favorable or unfavorable response. There is a big gap, part of which is delayed response. In our own ~xperience we. have had letters about tracts that were printed up to twenty years ago and have been unavailable from our office for nearly that loqg.

Some tr~cts are initially very popular because of their strikipg, appearance. Certain 'Nell financed interdenomination­al tract societies are able to print many small pieces in full color and come out with a large variety of new titles each year': . ~eir hope is to keep abreast of the times ·and perhaps capitalize on popu­lar sports figures or curr(fnt events in a way that will catch the eye of the reader and then influence his thought along re­.ligipus lines. This is good; it serves a

JANUARY 6, 1969

purpose. But a denominational publish­ing house has subject material other than prayer, salvation, stewardship or general topics which must be presented and do not lend themselves to full-color, mass production publication, with high initial costs'.

If we may be pennittea an observation gathered from books, articles, reports and corre~pon.dehce it would be this: There is' no clear relation between the' eye­catching or non eye-catching appearance of a salvation tract and the salvation that results from the reading of- it. From the testimonies one reads he would get the impression that a great many of the peo­ple who have been saved by reading tracts came to that experience through messages printed on cheap paper without much illustration. This may be one of the reasons why ind~viduals or organizations with great zeal but limited resources of­ten decide to use those resources for quantity of pamphlets rather than quali­ty' of pa,per.

The American Sabbath Tract Society has a program under way to produce some small tracts in larger quantities at low cost, some· well designed two color tracts and so~e larger study-type pam­phlets. To' achieve the right balance and to promote the proper distribution of the various kinds, of literature is not always easy. The committees are made up of devoted people \vho want to do what is best :'but do' not have· all the answers. The people out in the churches~ those on the home and foreign mission fields \vho see the vision of a tract ministry can help the committees and th~ society by re­porting efforts and resu:lts, by observing which pieces of literature best accom­plish their c purpose.

In recent weeks and months a number of very 'interesting short letters have come to,the office from ' people \vho have read some' of our tracts and have been greatly helped by them. They liked "the appearance; .' they were o}.oved by' the message.

To come back to our title and first sentence, we firmly believe that \ve Qilve some good tracts. The message' of many of them was put into appealing" tract

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A. Den@minati@nal Publishing H@use H@w It Os P@ssible

Some large d~nominations do not own :;md operate their own publishing houses for' good' and sufficient reasons. Smaller denominations face real problems in equipping and operating their own print­ing plants. For many years the Amer­ican Sabbath Tract Society, which de­v~loped our publishing house, reasoned that it could not buy and maintain the f!ecessary machinery for high quality de­nominational printing without the profits of ~ommercal business to' plow back i~to -the enterprise. It was good reason­ing. It worked up until a few years ago. Old equipment was replaced with new, more efficient machines, almost a com­plete turn over of presses, folders, etc.: ~itbin the past 15 years. In; addition, t~e, publishing house contributed as J!luch as $5,000 "some years to denomina­tional budgets. Times changed; the shop was operating at a loss on its commercial w~rK. Could it survive if it did only de­nqminational~ work at competitive prices? That was tHe question.

We do now have a tax-free denomina­tional publishing house owned and op­f?ratedby the American Sabbath' Tract Society. Much of the credit for under­taking the present program- goes to 'Gen­eral Secretary 'Alton L. Wheeler who studied the figures and worked with the Supervisory Committee of the board. It was figured that there might be enough income from the printing of the parent society and that of the other boards and agencies to break even if personnel was reduced to a skeleton crew and other expenses were cut. The printing of the Sabbath Recorder would provide about

Planned Parenthood Overseas The Rev. Charles R. Ausherman,

former director of social and economic' services fbr Taiwan Christian Service in Taipei, Taiwan, has been named director of the·Planned Parenthood Program'~' of the National Council of Churches' Divi­sion of Overseas Ministries.

Mr. Ausherman's office, within the Church World Service Department of

8

two-thirds of the income for a balanced publishing house bu~get~ ;

Coordination ~. and spacing out of all' the ' other 'printing wbtild be necessary to make the best use' of the time of 'shop person­nel.' Mr. 'Wheeler be­came the, coordinator,

'lengthenmg his days so that this could be -done in addition to his other denomina-

tional duties. He does this without reim­bursement. His vision of ~ printing sei...;' vice and a printing ministry, using'"' 'the large building and adequate machinery -'ac': mumulated during the years or purchased fl?r the new st:rvice encouraged the: Super-, VISOry CommIttee to carry on' instead -of ' liquidating (at considerable loss ) . We are operating our own plant, printing our lit­erature the way we want it printed, with the help of quite a little dedicated ser­vice, work that is given by local people' and· 'visitors who want to see this de­nominational venture succeed. Others besides Mr. Wheeler regularly take some time from other denominational 'duties to devote to this major project.

-What of the future? There' is a continu­ing and stepped-up effort to relieve Mr. Wheeler of his coordinating duties .. The problem, if the right person could be found, is largely budgetary. The income from our printing at present prices would not cover another salary. It might cover part of a salary. If other agencies at· the Seventh Day Baptist Building need the part-time service of another man it may be worked out.

DOM, will provide program planning an4 supplies needed to carry out effective family planning services by overseas 'Christian medical institutions,J,~CWS field personnel, doctors and nurses.

He will' be responsible for linking, the Planned Parenthood Program ,with the Nee Priority Program on World Hunger. Mr. Ausherman and his family will live in Glen Rock, N. J.

THE SABBATH RECORDER

G'ood Tracts -- BeHer Tracts purpose. But a denominational publish-Who is to, say whether or not the ing house has subject material other than

tracts' published by the American Sab- prayer, salvation, stewardship or general bath Tract Society are good, better or topics which must be presented and do best? There' is 110 single answer to that not lend themselves to full-color, n1ass

·ques,tion. Not to be overlooked are the production publication, with high initial answers th,at come from the people who costs·. receive and 'read tbe literature. It may If we may be permitted an observation take many years of co~espondence, gathered from books, articles, reports and many years of- filling orders to evaluate corre~pondence it would be this: There the effectiveness of given pieces of litera- is, lio clear relation between the' eye­ture. Neither the, supplying office, the catching or non eye-c~tching appearance most active distributors, nor. the people of a salvation tract and the salvation that Who read and respond can make a clear results from the reading of- it. From the pronouncement as to the quality and ef- testimonies one reads he \vould get the fectiveness of tracts produced and dis- impression that a great many of the peo­tributed. There are quite a few human pIe who have been saved bv reading factors involved. The same person who tracts came, t-o that experience through will have {lothing to do with a salvation messages printed on cheap paper without or Sabbath tract today may a year later much illustration. This may be. one of the think it is just what he needs. reasons why individuals or organizations _, There are at least three' types of re- ~ with great zeal but limited resources of­sponses that filter back to the publishers ten decide to use those resources for of tracts: affirmative, responses, negative quantity of pamphlets ratller than quali­~esponses, and no responses. Every pub- ty . of paper. lisher wonders about the proportionately The American Sabbath Tract Society large number of tracts that seem to be has a program under way to produce wasted. The lack of response may indi- some small tracts in larger quantities at cate that the tract was not all that it low cost, some well designed two color should be in eye appeal or content. It tracts· and some larger stUdy-type pam­may also be due to the method of dis- phlets. To achieve the right balance and tribution, whether personal or by some to ,promote the proper distribution of the type of scattering: Publishers of the various kinds of literature is not always very finest printed materials have learned eaSy. The committees are made up of not to expect a hiW\~percentage of either devo~.ed people \vho want to do \vhat is favorable, or unfavorable response. There best .. b~t ,do· not have all the answers. is a big gap, part o( which is delayed The people out in the churches~ those on response. In our own "experience we have the home and foreign ,mission fields who had letters about tracts that were printed see the vision of a tract ministry can help up to twenty years ago and have been ,the committe'es and the society by, re­unavailable from our office for nearly porting efforts, and results, by observing that long. which pieces of ,literature best accom-

Some tr8:~ts are initially very popular plish th.eir .. purpose. because <?f their strik~g appearance. In recent weeks and months a number Certain well financed interdenomination- of very -interesting short letters have -al tract societies are able to 'print many come td;:the office from 'people who have small pieces in full color and come out read some' of our tracts and have been with a large variety of new titles each greatly helped by them. They liked"}the year~ . Their _ hope is to keep abreast of appearance; they wer~ IJ).oved by' the the times and perhaps capitalize on popu- message. lar sports figures" or current events in a , To come back to our title and first way that will catch the eye of the reader sentence, we firmly believe that \ve have and then influence his thought along re- some good .tracts. The message'~of many Iigious lines. This is good; it serves a of them was put into appealing tract

JANUARY 6, 1969 9

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form by some of the best writers of a past generation and some of' the best of ' the present day. Almost every tract now available has been considered, recon­sidered and updated where necessary before reprinting. But no one connected with the publication of our tracts wouJd deny that we. need better tracts. We ate working at it. But time and again the Tract Society has calls for reprinting tracts that the committee thought should be dropped, revised, ar replaced. Some­times wjth these requests comes nearly enough money' for the reprinting. The society wants to put into the hands of faithful people the largest amount of the best material for producing new Christians, new church members.

The Publication and Distribution Com­mittee of the Tract Board is one of the larger committees under the new' com­mittee organization this year. Headed by Mrs. Anna North the committee has the following members besides the president and the corresponding secretary: Mary C. Ayars, Florence B. Bowden, Theresa D. Parvin, Herbert E~ Saunders, Ella K. Sheppard, Victor W. Skaggs, and Peggy W. Van Horn. Consultants out­side the board membership are: Gladys Drake, Everett, T. Harris, - Evalois St. John, and Rex E. Zwiebel. Communi­cations in regard to the tract service of the board may be presented through the chairman or any member of the commit­tee.

ChristiC1lu:'ll C@rilCi::essi@ll1s

"pne of the Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowships in California had a scheme to r';lise money to spread the gospel on college campuses. The group set up con­cessions at sporting events at. which they not only s,old food but dispensed the "gospel. Their posted menu read:

Hamburgers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 40c Hot Dogs ................................ 30c Coffee ............... , . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. 10c Coke .................................. ; ... 10c Living Water ........................ Free

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eJ6~ ~~~ '~1b& uMen ought always to pray and not to

faint." =

UBut thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet/'

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

Suggestions forr Prayerr This Week .

Pray f@rr:

.]) The ministry of the Sabbath Re­corder in city, college' and seminaty libraries, that by reading it in theSe places people may come to know and respect the position and work of Sev­enth Day Baptists.

2) The missionaries and lone-Sabbath­keeping people whose most regular and most up-to-date connection with our whole work comes to them through the Sabbath Recorder (airmail or regular mail) .

3) The American Sabbath Tract So­ciety in its biggest program of editing and publishing our denomina~ional week­ly in the face of rising wages and other printing costs.' .

4) The tract ministry, that the com­mittees may know which tracts will best meet the needs, that the tracts sent out may be as seed sown that eventually comes to harvest. "

5) That our people will take full ad­vantage of all the tools available to them through the Tract Society for spreading the Sabbath truth. ,

6) The seemingly dormant seed of literature distributed m~ spring into life when hearts are prepared to receive the mess'age of salvation.

Suggestions for intercessory prayer are soli­cited from all who see the need. Send them to the editor or to the Conference president so that there Oln be many' voices raised in inter­cession for the people who most need to be upJ:teld at the' throne of grace.

SABBATH SCHOOL lESSON for January 18, 1969

EARLY REACI'IONS TO JESUS Lesson Scripture: Mark 2: 1-12, 15-17.

THE SABBATH RECORDER

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"Pleased to Know Y GUll

When introductions are in order we greet the ~ new acquaintance with a hand­shake anq may say, . "Pleased to know you." We start from there accepting the man as he is.' It is not quite the same when we 'are being introduced to a Sev­enth Day Baptist agency as old as the American Sabbath Tract Society.' One cannot really know this long-established society by shaking hands with th~ 30 members of its present Board, of Trus­tees or by glancing at a list of its pam­phlets now in print. An introduction must include a little background if we are to really appreciate this sturdy agen­cy and lend a hand in its great work .

The American Sabbath Tract Society .was organized in 1843. At its beginning it devoted its attention chiefly to printing and distributing tracts. The Sabbath Re­corder, now its major printing project, did not come into existence until the fol~ lowing year. It was not until 1872 that the society raised $15,000 to purchase the Sabbath Recorder in the name of the denomination from the Utter Company. After some years of publication in Al­fred, N,. Y.~ the publishing work was moved to Plainfield in 1895. Since that time Plainfield has been the base of operations for the'. society's printing work. The present publishing, house, built prior to the construction of the. Seventh

. Day Baptist building (1929), has been owned and operated by the American Sabbath Tract Society since 1922. Whether from Alfred, New York City, or Plainfield, in rented quarters or in its own building the society ha's been pub­li&hing and distributing literature for over 125 years.

The years bring some changes of emphasis but not changes of purpose. That is, stated in the first article of the constitution as follows:

"I~ object shall, be to promote the observance of the Bible Sabbath and the interests of vital godliness and sound nlorality, and to print and circulate the religious literature of the Seventh Day Baptist Denomination of Christians."

Individuals as they grow older lose some of their strength, vigor and gen-

JANUARY 6, 1969

eral manliness. Institutions, like this 125-year-old Sabbath promotion organi­zation, are constantly infus~d with new life through the annual election of board members and officers and the changing of committee personnel. The society adds the years that mark it as being something old and stable, but the board is always in the prime of life, older members con­stantly being replaced by younger ones. This year's new members include several capable young men and women. The combination of continuity and new blood sought by < the Nominating Committee makes for adherence to ideals and con­tinued growth.

The . constitution' states that the trus­tees shall not· be more than thirty in number. In order to keep the board as representative as possible the number is kept at thirty, besides the consultants who are elected as representatives of other boards or because they have special competence to ~dvise on certain matters. Normally people who are too far away to serve on committees or to attend quarterly meetings are not nominated as trustees. Most of the members at the present time live in New Jersey or Penn­sylvania. 'One, Winfield Randolph, lives in Florida the major portion of the year. The names t< and places of residence and committee assignments of those serving on the board this year are as follows:

William W. Armstrong (Supervisory ~ Finance)' Middlesex.

Frederick M. Ayars (Audio and Visu­al ) Lansdale, Pa.

'" Mary ·C. Ayars (Publications), Shiloh Rev. Charles H. Bond (Sabbath Pro­

motion) Shiloh Florence B. Bowden (Advisory, Pub-

lications) Shiloh ~

John A. Conrod (Sabbath Promotion, Finance) Bridgeton

James Davis (Audio and Visual, Fi­nance) Bridgeton

Jonathan B. Davis (lAudio anq Visu­al) Shiloh

Thurman C. Davis (Financ~) Shiloh Ray . Froding (Audip and . Visual)

Bridgeton

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M~SSIONS-Everett T. Harris

Overseas Ministries AssembDy Attended

By the Rev. Edgar F. Wheeler (Note: Upon request. this review of the Triennial Assembly of the Division of Overseas Ministries of N.C.C. was pre­pared by the Rev. Edgar F. Wheeler, pas­tor of the First Hopkinton Seventh Day Baptist Church of Ashaway, R. I.)

I was privileged to be a delegate from the Seventh Day Ba"ptist Missionary So­ciety to the Division of Overseas Minis­tries (DOM) meetings held at Ne.w Ha­ven, Conn., Nov. 19-22, 1968, and found these sessions most stimulating.

In his opening address, "Living Mis­sions in a Ch anging World," Qr. Da vid Stowe, Secretary of DOM, set- the key­note for the entire session as he declared that all of our churches are exp"eriencing a crisis of missionary identity. In a

Stella V. H. Gauch (Audio and Visu­al) Dunellen

Charles F. Harris (Advisory)' Shiloh . - - John L. Harris (Advisory, Superviso-

ry) Pennsville Iris S. Maltby (Audio and Visual)

Plainfield . Rev .. Leon M .. Maltby (~uperviso~,

PublicatIons, Sabbath PromotIon) PlaIn­field

Rev. Wayne C. Maxson (Advisory) Philadelphia, Pa.

Anna C. North (Advisory, Publica­tions) Plainfield

Charles H. North (ex officio) Plain­field

Theresa D. Parvin (Publications) Shiloh

Owen H. Probasco (Advisory, Super­visory) Bridgeton

Winfield F. Randolph (Advisory) Daytona Beach, Fla.

Rev. Albert N. Rogers (Advisory, Sabbath Promotion) Plainfield

Rev. Herbert .E. Saunders (Advisory, Publications) Plainfield e David T. Sheppard (Finance) Cedar-. ville

Ella K. Sheppard (Publications) Bridgeton

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changing' world, with an increasing awareness of the needs of society and nations and' with growing . concepts of Christian' service, we are trying to de­termine the scope 'and nature of the. church's work in mission.

Missionaries of' more liberal persua­,sion, a Catholic priest from India, a so­ciology 'professor, a .professor :to ( eco­nomics, "'£u nationally known cler man

.' of evangelical persuasion, lectur~ d on matters of interest to the churcl1 today ranging from radical theology of mis­sions, . to economic refonn, to political order, to social service,: to the dimen­sions of personal conversion. All these factors and concerns enter into the Church's concept of mission today.

Opposing concepts of the nature of the Church's mission. were criticized. "Puritan morality" was condemned for "stressing personal sin and responsibili-

(Continued on back page)

Ardale C. Skaggs (Sabbath Promo­tion) Plainfield

Rev. Victor W. Skaggs (SuperVisory, Publications) Plainfield

Peggy W. Van Hom (Pu~lications) Plainfield

Ethel M. Wheeler (Audio and Visu­al) Plainfield

Albert W .. Withrow (Audio and Visu­al) Plainfield

Consultants: Frederik 1. Bakker (Finance) Plain­

field Lloyd R. Coon (Finance) - Succasun-

na Mrs. Arthur Drake (Publications)

Milton, Wis .. Rev. Everett T. Harris (Publications)

Westerly, R. I. Fr'anklin A. Langworthy (Advisory)

Plainfield . Loren G. Osborn (Advisory) Con­

cord,N. H. Miss Evalois St. John (Publications)

Plainfield Rev. Alton L. Wheeler (Supervisory)

Plainfield Rev. Rex E. Zwiebel (Publications)

Alfred Station, N. Y.

THE SABBATH RECORDER

Books at Reduced Prices ~ Some years ago the American 'Sabbath

. Tract Society reduced the prices, of its bound books in an effort to get them out to our people where they would be read. The' prices were dropped so low in some cases that valuable books have been selling below the cost of present­day handling and postage costs. It has now seemed wise to the Board of Trus­tees to announce price increases, not up to the level of current'· prices for books of comparable size and quality, but sub~ stantial increases. Prices too far below value tend to downgrade the books.

Until May' 31, 1969 the following boo~s (while they last) may be pur­chased at present prices. After June 1 the following new prices will be in effect.

Seventh Day Baptists in Europe and' Amer-

new present

ica, 2 V<;>lumes .. , ... $9 & $10 $9 & $10 Spiritual Sabbathis111 -Lewis ...................... 3.50 1.00 Bible -a-Studies on the Sabbath Question -Main ............... 1.25 .75 A Manual of Seventh Day Baptist Procedure 1.25 1.00 Sabbath History Be-fore the Beginning of Modern Denominatidns -Bond ..................... . China Letters -Palmborg ............... . Letters to the Smiths -Uncle Oliver ........ . Letters to Young Preachers - Lewis ....

. Sermons to Boys and Girls - Bond ....... " .... Poems-·Bond (paper)

1.50 .50

2.50 2.00

1.00 .25

1.00 .25 .

\1.00 .75 1.00 .75

-(Order from American Sabbath Tract

Society, P. O. Box 868, Plainfield, N. J. 07061. Cash with order plus po·stage.)

. "Frequent naps keep you from grow­ing old-. especially if you take them while driving. "

-Ray Savage

JANUARY 6, 1969

The Oenominational Desl< In the office of the publishing house

at Plainfield :there is quite a bit of space . It is occupied with desks, files, cabinets, cases and a' busy photocopier, not to mention' equipment for the coffee break which -draws' together once a day the. workers from all the offices in the Sev­enth Day' Baptist Building.

Only one' of the desks in the ~ffice has a name. It is what for many years has been called the "denominational desk." There has never been any placard· over it; it is just understood. Perhaps the term does not have quite as much mean­ing as when two or' three of the other desks were devoted to commercial work, reception, bookkeeping, etc. On the oth­er hand, this desk, the area around it and the active files devoted to Sabbath Recorder and Helping Hand subscrip­tions, proofreading, etc.~, make that "de­nominational desk" more important than ever before.

'Presiding at that desk is EUa O'Connor who knows Seventh Day Baptists better than anyone else in the whole organiza­tion.While still in high school this daughter of our long-time manager, th~ late L. H. North, started working part­time at the publishing house in shop and office. She has done almost everything· that could be done by a woman. Her ser­vice has not been continuous since her marriage but she came back to the office nearly fifteen· years ago and has

13

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faithfull)1: discharged the many duties that cluster around that desk.

Since the change-over' from commer­cial to strictly denominational printing there has been a reduction of office as well as, shop personnel. Mrs. O'Connor had been working only half a day. Now in her full day she does the bulk. of the·, proofreading, handles all of the money, that comes in for literature, supplies, etc., as well as subscriptions, answers all office phone calls, receives visitors and takes care of other office details that once were divided among several people. Etta is a VIP as far as the office of the publishing house is concerned. Her wide acquaint­ance through many years of correspond­ence with people in all our churches makes it possible for others in our of­fices to say, -'Ask Etta."

Sh~ Does Her Part

When a publishing house has rela­tively few employed people the impor­tance of each one stands dut. So it is with Mrs. William McAllister, bookkeeper in the office of the Seventh Day Baptist Publishing House at Plainfield, N. J.

The' term bookkeeper conjures up in some minds a picture of Bob Cratchit sitting on a high stool before a high desk making entries in a ledger all day.

For a bookkeeper of the publishing house nothing could be farther from a

14

true picture. Job, tickets need to be made out for each job that is done. Then time . sheets have to be collected and tallied and marked against each job. Other costs are' added for the preparation of each "sales" sheet. Invoices are then pre-pared. ' .

Going on behind the scenes in addition to the process described above there is payroll (also prepared from the time sheet)' and payroll deductions for Uncle Sam. There are invoices to be paid on purchases of material and there is the monthly report to the post office on the number of periodicals being "mailed in each category.

The stock inventory has to be kept. That means both the actual counting of reams in some instances as well as arith­metic in a little book~and making sure the two balance.

Finally the bookkeeper is also the bookkeeper-that is she does prepare the monthly financial report and reconciles the checks with the monthly bank state­ment as Bob Cratchit himself did.,

Our bookkeeper is the daughter of Mrs. Frankie and the late Courtland V. Davis, is mother of a gro~g family living a few miles from Plainfield. Her husband is highly qualified in the field of electronics research and manufacturing. In addition to her duties with the pub­lishing house, Jean is treasurer of Gen­eral Conference, handling the funds re­ceived from the OWM treasurer for the

,various administrative and other ex­penses.

G. D. Education Extended A 'new la~ which went into effect De­

cember 1, 1968, has extended the educa-' tional benefits available to veterans dis­charged from service after January ··31, ' 1955. Instead of one month for each month of service veterans are now en­titled to one and one-half months of school. Some veterans who have pre­viously declined the sehoolingbecause of the limited time allowed may now get up to four y~ars{)f college, depending on individual entitlements. Interested? Con ... tact your nearest VA Regional Office.

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THE SABBATH RECORDE~

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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION-Sec. Rex E. Zwiebel

Happy ~irth~ay " ~ Yo C~risti~n Endeavorers,

Christian Endeavor Week will be ob­served January 26-February 2, ··1969, marking the 88th anniversary of $is pioneer' youth organization in the Prot­estant Church. Millions of youth and their leaders from scores of evangelical­denom'mations . and cOl,llmunions in over 75 nations' and island groups around the world will mark Christian Endeavor Week with special services, rallies, ~nd banquets.

Today Christian Endeavor is helping, youth to open the doors to a firm spiri­tu~l foundation which declares that Jesus Christ and His Gospel have the basic answers for living in today's world. Chris­tian Endeavor is an interdenominational, international, a~d interracial agency in the local church specializing in service for youth. (J

Young Adult Pre-Con Retreat According to an, announcement from

the Pawcatuck Seventh Day Baptist Church, the Young Adult Pre-Con Re­treat for 1969'will be held at Lewis Camp. Lewis Camp is located just outside of Ashaway, Rhode, Island, and it is one of the oldest Seventh Day Baptist camps .. Recently several improvements have been made in the facilities, and it will serve admirably for our retreat.

Nati@nal SDBYfF Memberships. Now is the time to join the National

Seventh Day Baptist Youth Fellowship for the year 1969. Membership costs $1.00. per person. The money is used to help defray the salary of the youth 'field'worker and the expense of publish­ing the Beacon.

To date about 160 of our youth have joined, several having signed up at Gen­~ral Conference. :To join, send your name and address, along with your $1, to Mr. Lyle Stitton, Almond, 'N. Y. 14804.

J~ARY 6, 1969

Youth field Worker The tentative schedule for Miss. Esther

Burdick, youth field worker, for January 1969, is as follows; January 2-4, Syracuse Seventh Day Baptist Church; January 5-7,' Adams Center church; 8-11, Verona

. church; 12-:14, DeRuyter church; ~5-18, First and Second Brookfield churches; January' 19-31, Waterford, Connecticut.

:On DeCember 17, Miss' Burdick gave an oral report of """her work thus far to the ,Youth Work Committee of the Sev­enth Day Baptist Board of Christian Edu­cation in Alfred Station.

At each stop her schedule . calls for convers~tions with the minister, the youth advisors, the youth fellowship officers, and others . who may be workirrg with the youth program of the church 6{. Sab­bath School. As time permits she meets with the total. youth fellowship in sched­uled meetings. Also, she desires to meet with individuals of the older youth-col­lege age, especially those who have served ill the Summer Christian Ser­vice Corps.

During the Conference year of 1967-68, two church youth tJelIowships gave $100 each, toward the Saf~llY of the youth field worker; they are Boulder and 'Mil­ton. We are very grateful for their sup­port.

The National Youth Fellowship is charged with raising $1,300 during this Conference year, this also to be applied to the salary of the youth field worker. We expect to pay Miss Burdick at the rate of $4,600 a year with $2,000 com­ing from the Memorial Fund of the de-

o nomination, $1,300 from 'the amount ,that has been raised prior to this year, and the ~balance from the youth. Gifts from others are always appreciated. They may be sent to Mr. Lyle Sutton, Almond, NY 14804.

Junior Nigh Conference Junior High' Conference . at General

, Conference will be directed again in 1969 by Miss Constance Coon. We are sure that those youngsters who ,worked and played under her direction at Kearney will look forward to next year's con­ference.

15 ~ .... -- . ,"

--" ,,'

The Sabbath Rec@rrderr 510 Watchung Ave., Plainfield, N • .!I. '07061

Second class postage paid at Plainfield, N. J. 07061

(Continued from page 1'2) words have peculiar applicatiQn to us ty, while tending to neglect collective \Vho have traditionally taken an evange­sins - massacres, slavery, etc." The viewlical and missionary stance. We tend to ~as expressed by one speaker that, ''11Ie defend structures and traditions, to be Christian mission', is 'to make Christ's static when we ,ought to be, dynamic' presence· known in all society, not tO~Et0ur comprehension of the breadth bring salvation to the individual," with meaning of Christian mission: .IL.-k'I'~~~J-.;3-the .. addition'al comment that we need pel 'of the Lord Jesus Christ ~.J.~~~~~r "less ~oul saving, and more, society all man's problems and needs; its saving." applications are limitless. We :do well to

On the other, hand, Dr. Howard build upon the past for a larger mission Schomer criticized the "faddishness" of for Christ. "- , ''-pJ:esen~-day emphases,' remarking that we Our Lord said: "Every' 'scribe which typica~y diagnose pur age as a '~crisis is instructed unto the kingdom of heav­age," forgetting that crisis is as old as en is like unto a man that is an house­history. He remarked that our theologi- holder, which bringeth forth out of his cal thoughts are reflections of fads, and treasure things new and old" (Matt. we let the fads of immediacy ~drownout 13:35.) There is' 'much that is good in the eternal, .and the true human : hunger. our old concepts, of missions,' ,and there

It was, emphasized that in the fu- ,is much that is good in, the 'new. And ,ture missions must be more ecumenical when we put them together, our under­in spirit, and yet it was ac~owledged ~nding of our mi~sion wiif grow. to that "The missionary is here to stay, if meet the needs of our times. . the ecumenical movement do.esnot sell them opt." The stress, i~ upon the v~rious denommational boards or -churches be~ ing enabling agen,cies that' are 'willm,g to step into the background~ The~, church as a st,ructure should be tra1:1sparent in revealing the living God, it was declared, and it should consider itself dispensable enough to step out of the way for -the Holy Spirit to work' in His own way. '

The increasing role of the laity in world mission was also stressed, and rightly' so. .

After all our probing into, 'need areas' for the Church's missionary service, and the problem of being relevant, it seemed that the truth was fitly' spoken in' , the words: "If we seek to be obedient, we will not need, to worry about being relevant., History will find -qs. As we reach for the future, the future reaches for us." '.- 'Strange as it may seem to some, these

Saigon Baptist, Chapel Hit The newest Baptist chap.el in Saigon,

has become a "veteran." The chapel building -was hit by Viet-,

cong fire a number of- times~: The great­est damage was done by a mortar shell which made a direct hit on, the roof, a small rocket round, which hit the front of the building,' and small arms fire' which peppered the' building from all sides. "'.'

Ly Cu, a ministerial student who lives in the chapel on weekends, sat huddled on . the main floor during the attack. Though the heat and shrapnel from the:. exploding inortar g~ve him some anxious moments, he says, "I was not afraid because 'God' was' with'me.'lI "

More than 40 persons, many of them children, were killed in the chapel area, and approximately 200 were wounded.

- :. ~EBPS,

Janwai.-y 13, 1969

The Will of God C for Man As Christians we affirm that the "~will --of God for man is set forth in the ~

Holy Bible in an authoritative ""ay and nowhere else. The Ten Commandments graven on tablets of stone "by the finger of God" are a brief summary of what God expects of man. They have been frequently argued against in whole or in parrt, and none but Christ has perfectly obeyed them. Upon. our repentance He forgives our transgressions of the law-anyone or all of its precepts, Jand gives us the assurance of the Holy Spirat to help us to do His will. He wants us to observe each and everyone of the Commandments wi~h His strength.